This blog is divided into two sections. The first deals with experiences in rescue/placement of homeless cats and dogs. The latter focuses on the treatment of wildlife in our city parks, specifically, Canada geese. These birds have recently been targeted by government officials for a 2/3rds "reduction" in population. Thousands have been cruelly rounded up and gassed in NY over the past several years. This is an issue that cries out for address and is covered substantially in this blog.

About Me

"Enter all the information about yourself that you want others to know."
What do I want others to know about me? Interesting question.
The answer will be less complex and likely to be discovered in the
context of the blog.
One's self is found in one's writing and doings in life (I suppose) as
opposed to what one says about one's self.
For now (9-08) simply to update the picture. -- My beautiful dogs,
Tina, Chance and me.

(Regarding the story above, I personally don't buy the woman's story of a "frozen" leash buckle resulting in the dog getting away from her. Presumably, she has to offer some excuse for her dog being off leash at 10AM -- a time dogs are supposed to be leashed.)

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I have, in the past, personally warned dog owners of this danger and in one case was told by a man that if his dog fell through ice, he would "simply call 911" -- as if emergency workers have nothing better to do.

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Past stories on this blog of waterfowl attacks by off leash dogs allowed in park lakes have documented several duck injuries and in two cases, death of a mallard and a goose.

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It is easy to know these irresponsible actions by some dog owners still occur at Harlem Meer (site of latest dog-falling-through-ice incident) simply by observing the extremely nervous, jumpy behavior of the ducks (and presently one goose) every time someone passes by with a dog -- including well behaved dogs on leashes.

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The birds immediately bolt or fly to the middle of the lake in what appears sheer panic. (Of course some of this extreme behavior might be attributable to Geese Police which for nearly a year, uses dogs to harass any geese at Harlem Meer and other Central Park lakes and ponds.)

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This is in fact how I know the loner goose ("Bandy"), presently at Harlem Meer can fly (something one normally questions when noting a Canada goose failing to fly out with her flock). She and all the mallards flew as if shot out of a cannon last night when a man walked by with a leashed dog more than 50 feet away.

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Considering the immense challenges to all wildlife and birds of this particularly bitter winter in New York, that there are still people who think its "cute" or acceptable that their dogs harass and add to the stresses of these animals is disgusting to say the least.

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Call me callous, but while feeling some sympathy for the dogs who, with general encouragement from owners, become ultimate victims of their aggressions against waterfowl, I feel no sympathy at all for the humans.

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The wildlife of our parks does not exist for the self-entitlement abuse of some dog owners and their dogs anymore than emergency services exist solely for their rescue when failing to heed important warnings. -- PCA